Britain would be greater with David Beckham at the London Olympics

David Beckham played a huge role in bringing the Olympics to London this year. Photo: BBC Sport.

Tomorrow afternoon, Stuart Pearce will announce his Great Britain squad for the London Olympics 2012 football tournament. It is understood that David Beckham will not be part of the final 18 with the three over-23 candidates likely to be England’s Micah Richards and Wales duo Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy.

Whilst the inclusion of Micah Richards was inevitable considering he was wrongly left out of the Euro 2012 squad by Roy Hodgson, the all-but-confirmed absence of David Beckham is, in my mind, baffling.

“Everyone knows how much playing for my country has always meant to me.

“So I would have been honoured to have been part of this unique Team GB squad.

“Naturally I am very disappointed, but there will be no bigger supporter of the team than me. And like everyone, I will be hoping they can win the gold,” said David Beckham.

Ryan Giggs believes Pearce has made the move in order to “go for gold” but surely Beckham would have brought more to the team than most, considering he is a man with a wealth of experience and, evidently, still a desire and hunger to succeed in football, combined with an ability to do so despite being 37.

This was a text book curler from David that he scored in the MLS against the San Jose Earthquakes only yesterday. David Beckham still has it. His passion for the game is still vibrant to all that watch him play. He is a figurehead in the sport both domestically and internationally and the inclusion of him in the squad would of given it an instant boost to start with.

I don’t think Pearce will be able to vindicate his move to leave Beckham out of the Olympics that will be played on the doorstep of his birthplace in East London.

Roy Hodgson found himself in a similar scenario when he chose to leave Rio Ferdinand behind and take John Terry to Euro 2012, considering that Rio had the better season in the Premier League and the impending case that hung over John’s head. However, I think he made the right move. John Terry and Steven Gerrard were our two best performers in that tournament and they gave everything. Sure, Rio Ferdinand might have done a job equal to that but Terry did impress me with his body-on-the-line performances that he gave every game.

However, Stuart Pearce has shot himself in the foot by not including Beckham. He is seemingly set to choose Craig Bellamy and Ryan Giggs as his other two over-23 players. Ryan Giggs was almost a dead cert with his general fitness and attitude to the game so it seems a toss up between Craig Bellamy and David Beckham was found in the Welshman’s favour.

Nobody has done more for the face of English football in the past decade than David Beckham. Fact. He has been an ambassador for the game and an ambassador for the Olympics. His global recognition, only superseded by his love for the game, is richly deserved and I have always loved seeing Beckham in an England shirt.

Lord Seb Coe has said that he will find an alternative role for Beckham but it will be a bitter sweet affair. I feel that the Great Britain football squad was always in an uphill struggle to go for gold with Brazil boasting a starting up including Neymar, Ganso, Hulk, Thiago Silva et al. However hard a task it was going to be from the outset, I think Stuart Pearce has made it infinitely harder by not including the man who helped make it all happen in the first place.

England with Beckham in the team had an edge to it. We played well and had some team spirit. Since Becks was dropped by Capello, England never had that spirit about them. It is something the team is lacking. Team GB will be the same without Becks. No spirit!! Psycho has made a mistake leaving him out!!

In my mind a bad decision by Psycho! Beckham’s inventiveness, ability and accuracy is far superior to that of anyone else. He might have a few miles on his boots, but his fitness, devotion, skill and sheer ability will be a great loss to Team GB.

I am happy that Beckham has been left out. His desire to be part of the GB squad is just a big vanity exercise for Beckham. It would be for no other reason than to garner yet more publicity for brand Beckham, resulting in perhaps a knighthood and more cash for Victoria to feed into her own pretend career as a fashion designer. I am a United fan but I tired of the insipid publicity machine of the Beckams a long time ago and was happy when Fergie got rid. Never has a player carved out such a career out of putting in decent crosses and free kicks. Not good enough, too old and self-serving in the extreme.

David Beckham has always typified what passion a person can have for football. He has gained his image as a pin-up as a consequence of this. Football is always in his heart and it is obvious he really wants to play football still.

Why stop at a 37 year-old? There must be a few over 50’s who would like the publicity as well. Whatever you think about SP as manager at least he believes he must try to win the thing! O course if you have an interest in Brand Beckham and a desire to still further his coffers then go for him if you must. I for one am not interested in a Beckham advertisement being the order of the day.

“Nobody has done more for the face of English football in the past decade than David Beckham” – it’s not about what he can do/has done for the sport. It’s about skill level, and Beckham doesn’t have it anymore (some would say he barely ever had it) – the only thing he’s good at is set pieces. He can’t run (and clearly not like Bellamy), he can’t tackle, he wouldn’t add anything to the team other than presence. And he doesn’t need to play to do that, he could be part of the staff.

“Everyone knows how much playing for my country has always meant to me” – So Becks that’s why you got yourself sent off in the World Cup?

There only things people remember about Beckhams career are;
Scoring from the Half-way line for Utd
Getting sent off in the World Cup
Free kick vs Greece
Contract deal with LA Galaxy
Helping with the Olympic Bid
– These moments don’t show much footballing skill, other than dead ball situations.

It’s a good thing he is’n’t in the party! There are other players,and it’s about time he stepped aside for them! Your time is up David me boy,be satisfied with what you have done and give someone else a chance.You are not what you were.Go find a job managing a club.